Events, dear boy, events!

Stuart Andrew MP joins CF activists for a meal in Leeds

May may not have gotten off to the bed start, with the party taking something of a drubbing across the region, despite the concerted and dedicated work of CF and party members. Penistone, a solid Tory area, lost a seat to Labour in Barnsley council; Wakefield Conservatives lost nine of the ten councillors defending their seats and, in Sheffield, we were outdone by Ukip in almost every ward.

Gloomy news, for sure, but then the party’s fortunes in local elections during the early 1980s hit historical lows immediately before Margaret Thatcher’s stunning 1983 victory. The sad truth of British local elections is that the ~30% who bother to vote often do so on national issues – punishing a Government implementing bitter medicine – than on local concerns. You might say this is because we have such weak local government in this country and too much centralisation but that’s another argument.

So activists should not feel too disheartened. Overall, the party did much better than some were expecting, which shows every leaflet and knocked door counts! In Sheffield, for example, Anne Smith came tantalisingly close to unseating a deeply-rooted Lib Dem councillor in Dore & Totley and regaining the Conservatives’ representation on Sheffield City Council. Vonny Watts, too, made quite a dent in Fulwood. All sound foundations for next time.

Brown’s, Leeds, on Saturday

But we’re not a mopey lot here in the Conservatives, still less Conservative Future, and a break from elections has provided plenty of time for merriment. A regional meal was held at Brown’s in Leeds on Saturday with a stunning turnout and an…interesting night out at Smokestack and HiFi. Pudsey MP Stuart Andrew was good enough to honur us with his presence for both sides of the night and was great company.

Gentlemen, charge your Randomisers! Elephant & Castle at 9am…

The month also took in a Hagueathon in York, with a parallel 16-hour drinking session in London attended by Yorkshire folk, and a well-attended meal at York’s grand ASK Italian restaurant organised by Amber Persephone. The London trip was also marked by a visit to the newly-restored Cutty Sark in Greenwich, which also allowed the opportunity to see the HMS Ocean docked nearby. Deputy national CF chairman and Yorkshire James Deighton also celebrated his birthday at a highly successful event in Leeds – beginning at the wonderful culminating in many-a-blurred memory at Call Lane Social.

Certainly one of the most disturbing renditions of ‘Happy Birthday’ I’ve ever experienced…

But the best is yet to come, of course, with a very exciting Northern CF meal planned at the Northern Counties club, Newcastle, on June 16. If you haven’t already put your name down for this, details are available on the Facebook page here. Before that, however, Yorkshire CFers are invited to attend a black tie diamond jubilee dinner at the Carlton Club, London, organised by our former chairman and deputy national chairman, Philip Smith, on June 1. Tickets for this are £55 and will be available until Sunday so, if you haven’t already done so, get on it! The Facebook page is here and has instructions on how to make a payment.

Marching Out of March

Fresh on the heels of spring, March has been a busy period of activity for Yorkshire CF. Activists from all over the county converged on Bradford for the parliamentary by-election in Bradford East.

The result was as surprising as it was disappointing for the Conservatives but campaigners who put so much time and footwork into Jackie Whiteley’s campaign could take comfort in the fact Labour took a good thrashing.

Another campaign that has been gathering pace is Sheffield Conservatives’ bid to regain representation on the City Council. This has been centred on Anne Smith’s bid to regain her Dore & Totley seat from the Liberal Democrats. University of Sheffield CF made a great showing and the entire Bradway polling district was leafletted in a single, gloriously sunny, afternoon.

Northern chairman James Gould, Yorkshire chairman Sarah Nazer and Northern secretary Victoria Snedker enjoy the regional spring meal at La Tasca, Leeds

Members have also been taking sojourns down to London to board the Boris battle bus and ensure Ken does not get another chance to cock up London but an event organised by University of Sheffield CF on March 24 sought to expand members cultural horizons and visit some of the spectacular museums and galleries the capital has to offer.

First stop was the Saatchi Gallery which, while not to everyone’s taste, offered a look at the avant-garde of modern painting and sculpture. The next stop was the National Army Museum, in which one of our party (naming no names) picked up a somewhat unconventional piece of headgear to go with his linen suit. After dinner, this was followed by a trip to the National Portrait Gallery and a well-deserved drink at the East India Club, courtesy of Calum Heaton-Gent.

The Yorkshire Contingent at CF Conference 2012

And last, but by no means least, Yorkshire CF came out in force at the Conservative Future National Conference on March 31. Many activists boarded the Boris Battle Bus in the morning and the event itself proved a great opportunity for us to mingle with representatives from all over the country. Needless to say, though, we worked up quite a thirst and there was a great deal of drinking done afterwards at the delightful Walkers of Whitehall. Who do an excellent bangers and mash, by the way. Just sayin’…

See you on Super Saturday!

Tapas and politics. What more could you ask for?

If you’re stuck for anything to do this Saturday (or even if you aren’t) then look no further – we’ve got it covered.

From noon til 3pm, there’s an action day in Bradway, Sheffield, for Totley & Dore candidate Anne Smith as she battles to regain the Conservatives’ only seat on Sheffield City Council. Victory for Anne in May would be a major victory for us and we need your help to make it happen! Campaigners are meeting outside Sheffield Student Union at noon. For more details, see the Facebook event.

If Sheffield’s not your cup of tea, an action day is taking place for the Bradford West parliamentary by-election and activists are meeting outside Bradford train station at 1pm. Labour MP Marsha Singh has been forced to stand down due to ill health and, while  we wish him a speedy recovery, we need to do all we can to beat his successor and get Jackie Whitely into Westminster.

If you can come along, contact Alex O’Brien on 07771 643136 or Sarah Nazer at sarah.nazer@yorkshirecf.com. 

But it’s not all work and no play in CF, oh no. After this all-important work we’ve got the all important grub and knees-up. The Yorkshire CF Regional Dinner will be taking place at La Tasca on Greek Street, Leeds, at 7pm. If you don’t know Leeds, Greek Street is a street off that big one near the train station with all the banks on it.

CF regional dinners are always corkers and who doesn’t like tapas? Seriously, you’d be daft not to go. Food will be ordered from the party menu and will cost about £20 plus drinks. The party will also be moving to HiFi club afterwards, which will prove to be a messy night no doubt! See you there!

Black Tie with Baroness Warsi

If there’s one thing we’re good at in CF it’s getting our glad rags on and looking fabulous. And, true to type, Beverley & Holderness Conservatives are holding a black tie reception with party chairman Sayeeda Warsi on Friday.

The event will be held at the Tickton Grange Hotel & Restaurant in Hull from 7.30pm with tickets priced at £30 for CF members. The event is by no means an exclusively B&H do, or even East Yorkshire, so if you’re interested in attending you can write a cheque for B.H.C.A. to Beverley & Holderness Conservatives, 9 Cross Street, Beverley, East Yorkshire, HU17 9AX.

East Yorkshire talent required!

East Yorkshire chairman Dominic Trynka-Watson is stepping down

It’s that time again. Last, but certainly not least, East Yorkshire Conservative Future will be holding its AGM on Thursday.

The event will take place at the University of Hull, at Cottingham Road, from 7pm. The position of chairman and two deputies are up for grabs and, with long-serving chairman Dominic Trynka-Watson stepping down we need a talented and enthusiastic CF member to fill his shoes!

Dominic has done a great job of holding together a rather disparate patch of the county and was instrumental in founding the East Yorkshire constituency branch of CF. But he said he planned to step down last year due to his belief that area chairmen should follow the same term limits as the adult party.

The trouble was, no-one came forward. But, much as we’d all hate to see Dom go, let’s see if we can’t give him that sweet release this time! Those interested in running for the position, or of the two vice-chairmanships, should send an email to sarah.nazer@yorkshirecf.com with the names of a proposer and seconder from CF.

Bradford By-election: we need you!

Following the resignation of the Labour MP for Bradford West there will be an impending by-election taking place. Conservative Future will be out in force to support our candidate with leafleting, canvassing and rallying party members.

The first CF campaign day will be taking place this Thursday which is being led by Yorkshire Regional Chairman Sarah Nazer. If you can support please email her at chairman@yorkshirecf.com

There will be much to do each day until the election, which is expected to be towards the end of March.

The team will be issuing regular updates on the election. We very much look forward to welcoming you onto the campaign trail.

Details of the CF Campaign Team

Philip Smith
National Deputy Chairman Political
philip.smith@conservativefuture.com

Sarah Nazer
Yorkshire Regional Chairman
chairman@yorkshirecf.com

Christopher Barnes
West Yorkshire Area Chairman
christopher.barnes@yorkshirecf.com

Activists Raise £450 for Heroes

Yorkshire CF activists helped raise more than £450 for Help for Heroes on the gruelling Three Peaks walk.

Alexander O’Brien, Simon Harley, Stephen Hoffman, Philip Smith, Greg Rodwell and Richard Marlow were joined by councillors Karl Arthur and Mike Jordan over the Whernside, Ingleborough and Pen-y-Ghent mountains.

Alexander, who is chairman of Selby CF and Yorkshire CF campaigns officer, wrote a report on their experience.

On Saturday 18 February members of Yorkshire Conservative Future and Deputy National Chairman (Political) Philip Smith met in the small Yorkshire village of Horton-in-Ribblesdale to take part in CF’s first Yorkshire Three Peaks charity walk for Help for Heroes. The challenge was to walk 25 miles and climb three peaks in 12 hours.

After an early start the walkers met at 6:30am before setting off into the night. As the sun rose the silhouette of the first peak appeared before them. At 2,372 feet Ingleborough is the second highest of the three peaks. Fog shrouded the peak as the walkers overcame rain, hail and gale force winds to finally reach the summit. As they descended the skies began to clear and the group got its first small glimpse of the spectacular countryside that makes up the Yorkshire Dales.

The weather continued to improve and by the time the group approached the second peak they could fully enjoy the views of the surrounding countryside. At 7,415 feet Whernside is not only the highest of the three peaks but the highest point in North Yorkshire. This provided the perfect vantage point to enjoy a magnificent panorama of the Yorkshire Dales which included the famous Ribblehead Viaduct on the Settle-Carlisle railway line.

After making their descent the walkers took a short but deserved rest-stop in the Station Inn before continuing their journey to the third and final peak. However, by the time the group reached Pen-y-ghent conditions had deteriorated to such an extent that attempting the summit would have been dangerous. An alternative route was devised and the walkers made their way through the patchwork of dry-stone walls and fields that make up much of the Yorkshire Dales.

By the time the group returned to Horton at 6:20pm the sun had set and the landscape was again shrouded in darkness. They had a well-earned shower and meal before having a highly deserved early night.

Well done and thank you to everyone who braved the Yorkshire weather to take part in what turned out to be a thoroughly enjoyable day out. Thank you also to everyone who kindly made a donation. Hope to see you there next year!

South Yorkshire Positions Up for Grabs

Fancy being an exec? Three area positions are up for grabs on Tuesday at the AGM of South Yorkshire CF – chairman, deputy chairman (political) and deputy chairman (campaigns).

Being an area chairman or deputy chairman is a great way to meet new people, to have a say on how CF is run and it looks pretty nifty on your CV. There is also plenty of opportunity for promotion to the Yorkshire CF and Northern CF executives.

If you fancy having a crack, contact Yorkshire CF chairman Sarah Nazer at sarah.nazer@yorkshirecf.com for a full description of the roles. You’ll need a proposer and seconder on the night.

The AGM will be held in Lecture Theatre 4 at the Hicks Building, Sheffield, which is a short walk from the Octagon Centre of Western Bank. For those travelling by train, here are some directions from the train station.

View Larger Map

New team for Sheffield Uni

Fresh faces were added to the committee of the Sheffield University Conservative Society on Thursday.

The group’s AGM, which took place at the Octagon Centre, was attended by 18 members including former Sheffield student Joe Markham, who despite living in London (and much to his annoyance), was proposed for every single position up for election (chortle).

Notwithstanding, the new committee was duly elected with freshers Jeevan Mehat as chairman, Calum Heaton-Gent as vice chairman, Jack McGill as treasurer, George Sharman as political secretary and Patrick Wray as social secretary. Do add them on Facebook!

As outgoing chairman Owen Grey put it, being a Conservative is not easy in Sheffield, but the new committee members gave every indication they would pursue the cause there with the same vigor and determination as the last -vital if the party is to regain representation on Sheffield City Council in May.

Chairman Jeevan Mehat

Vice chairman Calum Heaton-Gent

Treasurer Jack McGill

James Gould elected unopposed

James Gould addresses delegates at The Gateway, East Didsbury

The election for Northern Conservative Future chairman took an unexpected turn yesterday with the withdrawal of Lancastrian candidate James Branthwaite at the eleventh hour.

A few of the 30 delegates assembled at East Didsbury had received emails from Mr Branthwaite explaining his withdrawal from the contest, citing concerns about the fairness of the election, owing to the presence of email votes.

It was suggested the election be postponed while an investigation took place but this motion was quashed with a show of hands voting for the ballot to be held as scheduled. Outgoing Northern chairman Philip Smith noted that the Branthwaite campaign had ample time to express any concerns, which ought to have been made well in advance of the AGM.

When votes were counted, 16 were returned for James Gould, seven for James Branthwaite and seven for the re-opening of nominations (RON). Among email votes, eight were for James Gould and two were rejected.

Following the election, Stuart Andrew MP was voted as honorary president of Northern CF, with Spencer Pitfield, Andrew Stephenson MP and Charles Heslop as vice presidents. James Gould suggested the partnership hold three annual events, with the Christmas ball in Sheffield counting as the first for 2011/12. A summer event at the Newcastle Northern Counties Club was proposed for June 16.

That over with, delegates then went about the serious business of getting thoroughly plastered on the Didsbury Dozen – a tour de force of 12 pubs in 12 hours. More on that to come.